


Unexpected

by Zoe Rayne (MontanaHarper)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-23
Updated: 2006-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-11 20:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/116783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MontanaHarper/pseuds/Zoe%20Rayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>The last time Rodney had been back to Earth, he'd picked up a disgustingly vast selection of movies and television on DVD, figuring that maybe he'd find something John was interested in and at the very least he'd have goods for trade on the Atlantis black market.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

  * For [panisdead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/panisdead/gifts).



> Written for panisdead on the occasion of her birthday. What it ended up being was totally not what I started out writing; I hope it's still okay.

The last time Rodney had been back to Earth, he'd picked up a disgustingly vast selection of movies and television on DVD, figuring that maybe he'd find something John was interested in and at the very least he'd have goods for trade on the Atlantis black market.

When they had an evening of down-time, Rodney sorted through the DVDs and picked out something he thought John would like while John dumped two bags of microwave popcorn into a big bowl and opened a couple of bottles of beer. Rodney slid the disc into the drive and switched the output so that they could watch on the Ancient version of a big-screen television. The minute the menu came up, John groaned and Rodney looked over, surprised.

"You don't like _Top Gun_?" he asked, trying and failing to keep the note of disbelief out of his voice. "Isn't that some kind of sacrilege?"

John's expression, which had been heading toward irritated, suddenly broke into that exasperated grin he seemed to get only around Rodney, and he said, "I have one word for you: De Lorean."

"That's totally diff—" Rodney started, then his brain caught up with his mouth. "You mean because it shows an inaccurate, dumbed-down version of the military?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I can ignore that," John said. "Most movies about the military are pretty bad when it comes to authenticity, and the ones that aren't.... Well, I'm not much for entertainment that mirrors my real life."

Rodney ejected the DVD and started to put it away. "Then what?" If it wasn't the lack of realism, Rodney had no idea what John could possibly find objectionable about a movie that should've been something akin to soft-core porn to a pilot. When John didn't answer, Rodney added, "I always figured Maverick was your role model, actually."

He realized it had been a mistake the instant the words were out of his mouth.

"Is that what you think of me?" John turned sideways on the couch and gave Rodney a look that he had only ever seen aimed at the Wraith or the Genii before now. "That I'm some kind of asshole hotdog pilot who doesn't think about anything but his own glory?" John's voice was soft and dangerous and Rodney was already opening his mouth to argue when John cut him off. "That my ego makes me a danger to my team?"

And that was enough to push Rodney into action. "No," he said, raising his voice slightly for emphasis. "No, that's not what I think of you. I think your overdeveloped sense of responsibility is a danger to _you_ , but I'm not the least bit worried about the safety of the team when we're in your hands."

Surprisingly, that stopped John dead, his mouth half-open and his expression stunned. Rodney was a little stunned, too, because he'd been thinking those thoughts for a good six months but he'd never had any intention of actually saying any of it to John. They were far too close to other thoughts he'd be just as happy if John never found out about.

After a second, John said, "Really? You're not afraid I'll get you killed?"

"Not at all," Rodney answered honestly and without hesitation. "Listen, obviously the civilian perception—and an eighteen-year-old civilian at that, since that's the last time I saw _Top Gun_ —is different from the military perception. I'm sorry." He couldn't remember the last time he'd apologized voluntarily, but it was easier than he'd expected and it even came out sounding nearly as good as it had in his head.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and John's eyes didn't quite meet his.

Rodney looked away, rifling through the DVDs again until he found another movie from the 1980s and slid it into the drive, and by the time he was done the awkwardness had dissipated. John held out a beer to him and he took it without saying anything, settling back into the couch and reaching for the popcorn bowl.

The menu came up and John coughed, giving Rodney a really odd moment of _déjà vu_ , and when he looked over, he found John frowning at him. He checked the screen: _Risky Business_. What in the world could John find to object to about that?

And maybe it wasn't about the movie at all, because John said, "Rodney, is there something you'd like to tell me?"

The question made his heart pound a little erratically, because despite the small slip earlier he'd been so very careful with all of his secrets, especially around John. "Um. No?" It wasn't the right answer, because John's frown deepened. "Like what?" Rodney said, trying to keep his tone light.

"Like that you have some weird thing for Tom Cruise or something?" The frown was replaced by a teasing smirk and while the subject was a little close for comfort, there was no indication that John meant anything by it.

Rodney shook his head. "No," he said, taking a drink of his beer. "Definitely not."


End file.
